VSLC Professional Staff

Dennis is responsible for the administrative oversight and strategic direction of the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center. He joined the VSLC team in August 2012. Dennis earned a B.A. in philosophy from Loyola University Maryland, M.Div. from Weston Jesuit School of Theology/Boston College, and is a Ph.D. candidate in higher education administration at Morgan State University’s School of Education and Urban Studies. His dissertation research focuses on the formation of student culture around civic engagement and activism. Before coming to ECU, Dennis worked at Loyola University Maryland's Center for Community Service and Justice coordinating leadership development and co-curricular service-learning programs. He also served as a social justice minister at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. His professional interests include leadership development, service-learning, campus-community partnerships, social justice education, and qualitative research methods. Outside of work, Dennis enjoys spending time with his family, fishing and camping, and baseball.

Meagan serves as Associate Director for Service-Learning and Communications. She joined the VSLC team in July 2013. Meagan supports faculty who are involved in service-learning work and oversees community partner development and assessment, service-learning course assessment and syllabus design, and VSLC communications and marketing. Meagan has worked most recently as a resident director and the coordinator of multicultural student programs at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN. She received her B.S. degree in journalism and music from the State University of New York at Oswego and a M.S. degree in college counseling and student development from Azusa Pacific University, where she worked as a graduate assistant and then as Assistant Director of Service-Learning.

Teresa serves as the Campus Kitchen (CKECU) Graduate Assistant. She is from Nashville, NC, the “Original” Nashville. Teresa received her B.A. in psychology from East Carolina University in 2012. She is currently pursuing her M.B.A. degree and a certificate in supply chain management at ECU. Previously, she worked as a Graduate Research Assistant for the ECU College of Education and the Student Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy (SEOSA). She received a certificate through SEOSA for successful completion of the program where she was involved with an after-school literacy program. For the College of Education, she assisted with the Graduate Task Force focused on retention in higher education. Teresa enjoys being a Pirate and taking advantage of the opportunities that strengthen her leadership roles in school and the community.

Nichelle serves as Associate Director of Student Leadership and Educational Programming. Nichelle’s responsibilities include overseeing all co-curricular programming and student leadership opportunities. She supports community partnerships and ECU’s relationship with North Carolina Campus Compact. Nichelle is a recent graduate from Kent State University where she received an M.Ed. in higher education administration and student personnel. She also received a college teaching certificate and will complete her community college leadership certificate by 2015. Nichelle received her B.A. in speech communication with a concentration in public relations from Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. She spent two years serving as an Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA and VISTA Leader at Kent State University. Most recently, she worked at Kent State University as a graduate assistant coordinating community service opportunities. She also worked as a part-time graduate assistant in Residence Life at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio. Outside of work, Nichelle enjoys being outside to soak up the sun, playing with her two cats, gardening, spending time with family friends, as well as attending community events. She also enjoys reading, cooking, baking and attempting Do It Yourself (DIY) projects.

Sonni serves as the VSLC office coordinator. Prior to joining the VSLC staff, Sonni worked as the bookkeeper/payroll secretary for Stokes School in Stokes, North Carolina. She earned her B.A. in communications and M.Ed. in adult education from ECU. She is a die-hard Pirates fan and enjoys attending ECU events with her son, Tucker (6).

Hannah Paek, North Carolina Campus Compact AmeriCorps Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA)

Community Partners: Third Street Community Center, the Lucille W. Gorham Intergenerational Community Center, and the West Greenville community 1612 Old Cafeteria Complex, paekh14@ecu.edu

Hannah was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and moved to North Carolina in 2011 for college. She is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Social and Economic Justice. The classes she took for her minor opened her eyes to the injustices that the majority of Americans face today. She hopes that her work with ECU and its community partners will continue to kindle her passion for social services as she learns more about how to fight inequality. In her free time, she enjoys reading, going on adventurous excursions, volunteering with the community, watching movies, and discovering new restaurants to Yelp about.

More about VISTA: AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service
program designed specifically to help alleviate poverty. Founded as
Volunteers in Service to America in 1965, VISTA has been working to
address poverty in America for more than 40 years. VISTA supports
low-income communities by strengthening local organizations, encouraging
volunteer service, and generating the commitment of private sector
resources. With a commitment to social justice and utilizing the gifts
of others, VISTA volunteers bring individuals and communities out of
poverty. VISTA is operated by the the Corporation for National &
Community Service and North Carolina Campus Compact.